


we dance on roses, stepping on thorns

by honey_butter



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Angst, Dancing, Fluff, Hugging, Multi, almost forgot but copious amount of parentheses and italics, but what else is new, dampierre is the best wingman, discussion of plans to have a baby, each chapter centers around a different group of characters dancing!, quanyii wreaks havoc, sir angelo is stronk, sir marc being sarcastic, talfryn is just a good person, touch starved
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-28
Updated: 2019-09-28
Packaged: 2020-11-01 04:54:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,439
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20809268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/honey_butter/pseuds/honey_butter
Summary: They continued to dance, slowly and freely underneath the moon. All of them safe, loved, fulfilled.(the moonlight made them look magical.) (they were.)A compilation of different Second Citadel characters dancing and holding each other because saints know they need it after World's End.





	1. salt water and moonlight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [audioDramatist](https://archiveofourown.org/users/audioDramatist/gifts).

> hi all! I spent _all day_ writing this. it's multichaptered only because i came up with a clever title for each part. quick content warning that this does contain discussion of planning to have a baby. characters in this part are arum, damien, and rilla. i did my best with editing, but like i said, i've been writing all day. please point out any glaring mistakes! also yes grace this story is for you, i miss you.
> 
> on with the story!!

Arum opened up the door of his bedroom and heaved out the longest sigh of his monstrous life. Everywhere, on every surface  _ (the bed, the bureau, the ground, on his  _ cape _ )  _ lay bowls, jars, and, in one case, wooden drawers full of water. Arum reached a clawed hand out to remove the  _ (plant) _ pot that sat in the middle of his  _ (their) _ bed, right over Amaryllis’s spot. 

“No!” Damien shrieked from outside of the room.

Arum sighed again  _ (whatever weird saint-worshipping thing he was doing this time— ) _ and retracted his hand, putting it up in the universal sign of surrender.

“Tell me, Honeysuckle, why I cannot  _ move _ in my own room?”

Damien skidded inside, hip checking a  _ (porridge) _ bowl and sloshing water out of it, Arum hissed. “Don’t move them, my lily,  _ please _ . I journeyed to Saint Damien’s cove to get them, and would have to go back and restart the ritual if you disrupted it.”

“This is  _ ocean _ water?” 

Damien gnawed on his lip, “It is required for a disciple of Saint Damien to cleanse the room closest to their heart before the Festival of the Three, to banish any ill-intentions, maintain tranquility, and, er, promote fertility.”

“‘Promote fertility’?” 

“...Yes?”

“Have you talked to Amaryllis about this?”

Damien began to chew harder on his lip.

“Honeysuckle…”

“It is simply a ritual! I mean nothing more by it.”

Arum stared at him, waiting.

“Oh, my lily I must confess! I have committed a heinous act, I have lied to you! Oh, Saint Damien, I do not deserve forgiveness, I do not deserve your kindness—”

“Damien,” Arum decided now would be a good time to do something with these useless things called arms and pulled his honeysuckle into a hug, “it is oh-kay.  _ Shooshhhhhh _ .”

Damien laughed wetly, “Did Rilla teach you that?”

Arum couldn’t hide the slight affronted tone in his voice, “Yes, in fact she did.”

“Thank you, darling.”

“Damien, Honeysuckle, you do not need to cry.”

Damien’s shoulders hitched, Arum felt the scales at his neck beginning to grow wet. “I feel so badly, my love. You and Rilla… you do not want this. And I would have forced it upon you through acts of guile and trickery.”

“Honeysuckle, we only need to have a conversation. That is all. I will not touch your… ritual, but we need to sit down with Rilla and  _ talk _ about this.”

Damien pulled away, staring into Arum’s eyes, his tear stained cheeks glistening in the waning light filtering in through the curtained windows. “Thank you,” he whispered.

Arum leaned forward and bit lightly at Damien’s lip, Damien released a shaking breath and leaned into it, his hands moving to caress the sides of Arum’s neck lovingly.

“Honeysuckle, there is no need to thank me.”

…

“My love, I will anyway.”

_ (in the golden light of the sun, damien looked even more beautiful than normal. he was radiant, effervescent, the planes of his face shining, his brown eyes like small suns. inside of them arum swore he could see the reflection of thousand year old waves.) _

Rilla entered the Keep to silence. The moonlight casting the numerous flowers and vine platforms in a silvery glow. They looked magical  _ (they were) _ .

Arum and Damien sat in what functioned as the Keep’s courtyard, a clearing where Damien had constructed a wooden bench, the multilevel structures of the Keep rising into green-tinted shadows around them, numerous flowers decorating the space  _ (bougainvillea glabra, rosemallows, orchids, cyclamen persicum, larkspur delphinium, arum lilies, amaryllises, honeysuckles.) _

Damien sat in Arum’s lap, leaning back against him and smiling bittersweetly up at the moon  _ (damien had always liked the moon. it commanded the tides, serene in its silence. rilla had listened to him wax poetic about it on more than twenty occasions.) _

“Arum, Damien, I’m home,” Rilla called to them, she could already feel her shoulders falling, the tension of the day draining from her body.

“Amaryllis.”

“Rilla!”

Rilla laughed helplessly as they spoke at the same time, Damien shooting upright in Arum’s lap.

“Why are you still awake?”

Arum looked pointedly at Damien who ducked his head, gnawing at his lip. “We— I had something we have to talk about.”

Rilla approached them, tapping Damien lightly on the shoulder before sitting sideways in  _ his _ lap, one of Arum’s arms going up to support her back. She leaned into their touch.

“What is it, Damien?”

“I… I want to have a baby.”

Silence filled the night air again as Rilla felt her heart begin to gallop as fast as Dampierre.  _ (no, we can’t. i’m a doctor, you’re a knight, arum is a  _ monster _ , none of us have any time as is, what would we do with a  _ baby _ of all things, oh saints a baby.) (and: yes, yes, yes, yes, oh saints a baby.) _

“Arum,” her voice sounded wobbly even to her own ears, “what do you want?”

Arum huffed, clicking nervously, “It is your decision, Amaryllis. Your body.”

“And?”

“I would not be opposed to the idea, no.”

Rilla breathed deeply, she could feel the telltale signs of butterflies stirring in her stomach.

“My sweet, sweet Rilla, it is your choice. I will not think any differently of you if you do not want this.”

“Agreed, we will respect your decision.”

The butterflies took flight.

“I think… I think it would be hard. Having a baby, we’d have to have the Keep watch them sometimes and, and we’d have less time to ourselves. But, but I think I want one. I’d like to have a baby with you.”

Arum stood, holding both Rilla and Damien in his arms  _ (saints bless his strong arms) _ and spun them in a circle. 

“We’ll have to figure out the… particulars later,” Arum clicked.

Rilla laughed, short and clear, “We’re going to have a baby!”

Damien flushed, “Saints above…”

Arum put them down, cupping a hand around each of their jaws, “I love you, my most beautiful flowers.”

Damien kissed his cheek, Rilla his palm.

Rilla took that hand and twirled herself under it, her golden skirts blooming around her like the jungle flower she was named after. Arum began to sway them, pulling each of them close to his body and to each other, turning in lazy circles in the moonlight.

Damien spun her again, Rilla laughing, before she spun him back. He nearly fell over and soon was giggling, giddy with excitement and happiness.

They continued to dance, slowly and freely underneath the moon. All of them safe, loved, fulfilled.

_ (the moonlight made them look magical.) (they were.) _


	2. bring your heart, i'll make her feel at home

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> characters in this one are queen mira and sir caroline. Enjoy!!

Sir Caroline had been standing outside of her queen’s door listening to her cry  _ (quite loudly) _ for the past fifteen minutes. It was not her place to provide comfort. She was meant to guard and not interact unless specifically asked to.  _ (but a small part of her brain was arguing that mental monsters are just as bad as physical ones.) _ However, the part of Caroline’s heart that had grown soft enough to allow a witch inside was rubbing uncomfortably against her chest.

Five more minutes of sobbing passed before it became too much for Caroline to ignore.

Rapping  _ (not gently enough, never gently enough)  _ on the wooden door that was doing absolutely nothing to muffle the sounds, Caroline called in, “My queen, do you require assistance?”

“No!” Accompanied by a new wave of tears, Caroline fought hard not to roll her eyes.

It sounded… it sounded like the queen was sitting directly on the other side of the door, pressed up against it. Why would she…  _ (caroline knew why, she’d done the same herself so many years ago.) _

Caroline glanced down the hallway, no one was coming, no sounds of imminent threat echoed down the corridor. “I’m coming in.”

“That’s hardly,” sob, “necce-” sob, “-sary,” sob.

Caroline turned the handle and began to slowly push the door open, giving her queen enough time to get out of the way and not get clipped in the process.

“Sir Caroline, I order you to stay out in the hallway.” Mira’s voice was scratchy, wet, and about what you would assume from someone who had been crying for twenty minutes.

“I have been commanded to protect you, my queen. That supersedes any of your other orders.”

“I am  _ fine _ !”

She did not look fine.

Mira was using the corner of her headscarf to hide her face from Caroline’s view, but the mostly sheer, outer fabric was doing little to help. Mira’s normally stone cold, steel grey eyes were red and puffy, her lips quivering, tears tracking rivers down her freckled cheeks. Caroline fought the urge to pull Mira into her.  _ (that would hardly be proper. and, she could get executed for just thinking that.) _

Caroline shut the door behind them, and knelt down onto the floor before her queen, “What is the matter?”  _ (she does not say: mira. and, i care about you.) _

“Nothing,” Mira spits, “nothing is the matter.”  _ (she does not say: everything. and, i’m so so lonely.) _

Caroline reached out and lightly brushed the edge of the headscarf with one finger, “My queen…”  _ (mira…) _

Mira began to cry again.

The small Quanyii in Caroline’s head urged her to get closer. Caroline listens.

Mira was smaller than she looked, Caroline can easily hug her whole body, and she does. Caroline rarely wished to not be wearing her armor, it sets a wall between her and the rest of the world, now is one of those times. She wished she could feel Mira’s body pressed against hers, her chest rising and falling, the beating of her heart. Caroline knew that she will never get this again and Caroline  _ wants _ .

Caroline whispered into Mira’s headscarf, “If you want me to let go, I will.”

Mira shook her head, clutched her closer.

Caroline let out a heavy breath and pulled her closer.

“I’ve been… so lonely.” Mira murmured into the metal breastplate on her chest.

“I understand.”

Caroline does. She knows what it’s like to be removed, separate from everyone. In her home of the Frozen Wastes she’d felt that every day.

“Did you, did you know that no one has held me in eight years?” Mira laughed bitterly, “Not since my father died.”

Caroline felt a breath catch in her throat.

“The most, the most someone has done is hold my hand. No one’s… no one’s even  _ danced _ with me at any of our balls. I have to sit, sit on my throne and  _ watch _ . I can’t… I can’t handle it anymore.”

“You don’t have to.”

Caroline was standing before she knew she had made the decision to do so, she stretched a hand out to Mira who still sat in a heap on the floor, “May I have this dance, my queen?”

Mira stared up at her, the headscarf finally falling away from her face  _ (and she was oh so beautiful) _ , eyes big, “What?”

Caroline waved her hand in front of her, “May I have this dance?”

“But there’s no music.” Even as she argued, Mira began to take her hand.

“My queen, we can make music.”

Caroline pulled her upright and into her chest, shuffling them around in a small circle.

Mira scoffed, “This isn’t dancing.”

“Yes it is.” 

Caroline started humming, a song Quanyii had taught her  _ (“this one’s for the ages, babe”) _ , and began a simple waltz that she had learned for one of the citadel’s aforementioned balls.  _ (she hadn’t danced either. The only two people in the room whom she wanted to share one with were untouchable.) _

Mira softened, pressing her face into the crook of Caroline’s neck. “This is nice.”

Caroline simply smiled and continued to hum, twirling them so that Mira could look out her balcony window, at her beautiful citadel below, how alive it all was. They swayed back and forth for three loops of the song before Caroline leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of Mira’s head. Mira looked up at her, grey eyes shining in the midday sun.

_ (i can protect you better from here. pressed up against me and safe.) _


	3. a loud sort of quiet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> characters include marc, angelo, talfryn, and dampierre. i really like this one and i hope you do too!!

“Angelo, the sword!”

“Hup, there you go, friend Marc!” Marc caught his sword as it flew through the air, bringing it down on the clay monster’s shoulder with the force of the throw.

The golem roared, wet clay flying from its mouth and covering Talfryn from where he was standing to the side, his sword hanging limply in his hands.

“Oh, come on!”

“Sorry, Tal,” Marc yelled back at him, bringing his sword down again.

This time, it got stuck in the monster’s shoulder. 

“Uh oh.” Marc tried to pull it out, and the creature reached out a hand and ripped him from his saddle, throwing him into a tree.

“ _ Marc! _ ” Talfryn was already running towards him as he tried to catch his breath on the jungle’s ground.

Angelo screamed and charged at the monster, slamming his sword and a tree branch he’d picked up from the ground into its middle. His sword went clean through, sucking his arm into the creature’s stomach before the clay solidified again, trapping it inside.

“Friend Talfryn! I require assistance!”

“Just a second, Angelo, I’m busy over here.”

Talfryn bent over Marc, “How many fingers am I holding up?”

“For saints’ sake, Tal, I’m fine. Help Angelo!”

“What do I do?” 

“I don’t know! Think of something!”

Talfryn’s eyes darted from Marc to Angelo and back again before he pushed himself off the ground, “Aaaaagh, fine, fine, fine.”

Angelo swung the tree branch at the monster, it did nothing but make the creature spit more gunk onto Angelo’s trapped body.  _ (from this angle, marc had a great view of angelo’s ass. not that he’s looking at it! just... a field observation. yeah.) _

Talfryn stood next to the monster worriedly, shifting from foot to foot. 

“Talfryn, think faster!”

“Marc, you know I can’t work under pressure.”

“Well… try.”

_ (really, angelo had a very nice ass. if marc ever fully realized these thoughts he would probably throw himself to the clay monster’s mercy.) _

Marc saw the lightbulb go off in Talfryn’s brain. “Angelo! The river, push him towards the river.”

Angelo pushed the monster back, “hup, hup, hupping” the whole time. 

“Dampierre!” Marc called. “Help him!”

Dampierre neighed  _ (“no kidding marc, ‘help him’ pshh”) _ and charged at the monster, hitting him  _ (and angelo) _ backwards and over the bank. 

Angelo spluttered out of the water, the clay that had been holding him dissolving on impact. “Smart thinking, friend Talfryn. You should apply for knighthood!”

Talfryn mumbled something about just wanting to spend time with plants and Marc glared daggers at Angelo, “Uh, yeah, we already did,  _ Dumb-gelo _ .”

Angelo pulled himself up the bank, wincing. “Apologies, friend Marc. I did not think before I spoke.”

“Yeah no kidding,” Marc muttered, boosting himself slightly off the ground. “Could I get a hand?”

“Coming,” Talfryn said, beginning to pick his way over the clay-sticky ground.

“Do not worry, friend Talfryn, I will aid your brother.”

A still-wet Sir Angelo trotted to Marc’s side and then  _ (oh, yup, wow) _ hoisted him  _ (bridal style) _ into his  _ (very, very strong) _ arms. _ (saints those things should be registered as weapons!) _

“Ookay, then,” Marc said, tapping lightly with one hand on Angelo’s breastplate. “Thanks, I guess, could you put me on my horse now?”

“Ah, right, of course.”

But Dampierre wouldn’t come near them.  _ (“this is for your own good marc.”) _

_ _

“I’ll walk Dampierre. Can you carry Marc, Angelo?” Talfryn said, taking Dampierre’s reins.

Marc tried to shoot warning daggers at his brother but apparently his aim was off  _ (they landed somewhere in the nearest tree. typical.)  _ and Tal walked away from him… and Angelo.

“Well done, friend Marc. You behaved amiably in the heat of battle.” As Angelo walked Marc got thrown back against his chest. Marc hated it.  _ (he didn’t.) _

“Thanks,” Marc replied dryly, “You didn’t do too bad yourself.”

“Why thank you! I have been sparring with Sir Damien, he is a valiant adversary.”

Marc made a point to shudder at the mention of Damien.

“You are very light, friend Marc. Have you been eating well?”

Marc could see Talfryn’s head perk up as he started to eavesdrop on their conversation. “Yes, I’ve been eating. Why do you care?”

“Ah, deflection, fortunately for me I am familiar with his ways. So you say you have been eating, but not well?”

“Listen, Angelo, I don’t—”

“No, you listen, friend Marc. You will never have any hope of becoming a knight if you are not well nourished!”

“We don’t have the money to be eating well, Angelo! It’s not like I’m choosing not to eat, it’s just… I can’t. We’re already three payments behind for my medicine, Rilla can’t keep giving it to me for free and… what are you doing?”

Angelo had removed one of his  _ (meaty) _ arms from around Marc and was now  _ (dear saints) _ holding him one handed, the other digging around in his rucksack. “Aha! Here, friend Marc, become well nourished.”

Angelo pulled out an entire, honest to saints cooked chicken. Marc’s mouth began to water.

“I’m not going to take your food, Angelo.”

“You are not taking it, I am giving it to you.”

“If you think I’m—”

Talfryn called back to them, “Marc, just take the food.”

Marc grumbled but took it. The first bite was heavenly, the second better than a hundred human orgasms.

Angelo hummed happily, his now free arm wrapping back around Marc.  _ (marc didn’t lean into the touch. he didn’t.) _ “Friend Talfryn, do you know how far we are from the citadel?”

“Probably about two days. We should stop soon and start again tomorrow.”

They walked on for another hour, Marc trying his best not to get any food scraps on Angelo and not lean too fully into Angelo’s grip.  _ (the second was harder than the first. everytime they moved marc could feel angelo’s muscles rippling beneath him.) _

When they found a spot both Angelo and Talfryn agreed upon  _ (“these rocks are bad.” “not enough cover from foliage.”) _ Talfryn began to start setting up, Angelo still holding Marc to his chest.

“You could put me down now.”

Angelo looked down at him, one eyebrow raised, his  _ (full, red, beautiful)  _ beard tickling Marc’s forehead. “I could. Would you like me to?”

“Ye—”  _ (no) _ “I mean, sure, maybe. Whatever.”

His eyebrow raised further  _ (how could he  _ do _ that?) _ , “It does not sound like you know what you want, friend Marc.”

Talfryn sniggered from where he was unloading Dampierre.

“Tal, stay out of this!” And then, “Er, I know what I want. Yeah. I want… uh, hot chicks and knight… hood?”

“If you say so.”

And then Angelo started to jump around.

“What are you doing?” Marc squawked, his body practically slamming into Angelo’s.

“Dancing, friend Marc. Is it not fun?”

“You call  _ this _ dancing?”

“Have you ever danced before?”

“Well… no.”

“Ha! Then you do not know if this is not dancing!”

“I’ve seen other people do it, you big lumbering idiot.”

Angelo ignored him, starting to sing badly  _ (ha, finally found something he’s bad at) _ and continuing to jump and shake his hips  _ (saints his hips) _ .

“Friend Talfryn! Join us!”

Talfryn looked over from where he was starting to pitch the tent, “Oh, I couldn’t.”

“Nonsense!”

“Yeah, Tal, get over here.”

“Er…”

“Come on!”

Talfryn walked over tentatively, his hands pulling anxiously at the bottom of his shirt. 

“Tal, dance!”

He started hopping around a little and Marc let out a laugh, throwing his head back into Angelo’s chest. They met each others’ eyes for a second, Angelo’s brow softened, and Marc felt his heart begin to do something totally unfamiliar in his chest.

The moment broke when they crashed into Talfryn, all of them laughing and still hop-dancing.

Angelo let out a loud whoop. Marc followed suit, Talfryn letting out a small half-hearted cry in unison. In that moment they were the happiest people in the world.


	4. all together now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> characters include mira, quanyii, caroline, and the rest of the cast!! This is the last one folks!!!

It was the last day of the Festival of the Three, Saint Ferdinand’s day, and a party had taken over the Second Citadel. It was an… observational party, Quanyii shuddered. Everyone was respectful, having fun but in a  _ religious _ way which Quanyii did not understand the appeal to in the slightest.

“Stay at home, witch.” Caroline had warned earlier.

Quanyii had replied, “You know I like it when you call me a witch.”

The conversation had devolved from there, Quanyii smirked to herself just thinking about it. And,  _ of course _ , she hadn’t paid any mind to what the  _ mean, strong knight-lady _ had said, they wouldn’t have a sex life if she did everything Caroline told her.

However, Quanyii was thoroughly disappointed. Where were the teenagers getting up to the nasty in dark corners? Where was the smexy dancing, the grinding, the  _ twerking _ ? Apparently not here in the  _ (hands raised, praise the saints)  _ Second Citadel.

Quanyii was lurking, she was aware of this, and really lurking was a strong word. It implied a sense of menace and, honestly, wasn’t she  _ stopping _ the menace that was actually happening? This party needed some spice and, luckily for everyone, Quanyii _ iiii _ iii was here!

Everyone was dancing, if you could call it that. Spinning each other and smiling abashedly, universe was this what humans were like? She needed to get out more, wreak more havoc.

And… there! Sparkles settled on a couple closest to her and they started to make out against a store front. 

She wove her way through the crowd, casting spell after spell. Her back began to hurt  _ (and ah yup, that’s the universe for you) _ but she kept going anyway. This was the most fun she’d had since… well, at least since this morning!

She pulled up short when she saw a woman standing alone, everyone giving her a wide berth. Her headscarf was stunning  _ (just where could she find that fabric) _ and a large medallion dripped down to settle between her breasts.  _ (quanyii was sure it wasn’t meant to be sexy but, well, it was.) _

Quanyii slinked her way over to stand beside the woman, pressing a hand lightly to her shoulder, “Hey babe… what’s a gal like you doing all alone?”

The woman looked affronted, then amused, then nervous, “Um, I’m watching the party.”

“Watching? But, babe, why aren’t you  _ enjoying _ it, too?”

The woman flicked her eyes over Quanyii, Quanyii felt a thrill run through her body. “You really don’t know who I am, do you?”

“Nope, but I’d  _ love _ to find out.” Quanyii held out a hand to her, “Dance with me, pretty girl?”

She hesitated, Quanyii saw something like guilt building in her eyes. Quanyii shook her hand in front of the woman. She took it.

Quanyii pulled her against her, immediately beginning to dance  _ much _ more risque than anyone at this party had even dreamed of doing. The woman obviously didn’t know what to do with her hands, her hips, anything, but Quanyii was loving it. It was a refreshing break to be the one in charge for once.

“You likin’ it, darling?” Quanyii breathed into the woman’s ear.

She swallowed and gasped out a breathy “yes.”

Quanyii smirked.

And then _Miss Ruins-Everything_ _(quanyii really needed to work on these names)_ came in and spoiled everything!

“My queen! Unhand her you miscreant,” Quanyii was ripped from the queen by Caroline  _ (which, let’s be honest, didn’t ruin the mood in the slightest) _ . “Witch! I told you to stay home.”

“You know her, Sir Caroline?” The woman— Queen?— sounded flustered, flushed, Quanyii smiled happily to herself.

“I… uh.” Oh sweet snakes, Caroline was tipsy! This was going to be interesting.

“Yeah, babe, do you know me?”

“You know what, it doesn’t matter. I was… having fun. She may proceed.”

Caroline looked between Quanyii and the queen and back again, Quanyii did her best to bat her eyes innocently at her.

“Well,” Caroline’s voice was gruff  _ (how interesting!) _ , “I should, I should join you I think. To, to protect you better, my queen.”

The queen’s eyes widened briefly before she smiled coyly  _ (ohhh interesting…) _ , “Do you now?”

“...Yes?”

The queen appeared to ponder it for a second  _ (quanyii knew it was just for show, she often employed this tactic as well) _ , “I suppose I shall allow you to. It  _ is _ the last day of the Festival of the Three.”

Caroline smiled  _ (the big dopey smile quanyii just  _ could not _ get enough of) _ . Quanyii started her grinding on the queen again, Caroline now holding her hips.

Caroline pressed a kiss against Quanyii’s neck, “Well done, my love. I’ve been trying to get her to loosen up all night.”

“Oh I’m sure you have,” Quanyii giggled.

Eventually, the high-energy dancing became too much and they started swaying back and forth together, Quanyii and Caroline on either side of the queen— Mira, Caroline had whispered earlier.

Mira sighed, a hand raising and com bing through Quanyii’s long white hair. “This was… the best Festival I’ve ever had.”

“See, babe, all it took was a couple of lesbians to really  _ brighten _ your whole evening.”

Mira sighed again, “It did.”

Caroline tried to hide it but she couldn’t stop her sniggering.

Mira slapped her playfully, “Don’t disrespect your queen.”

Caroline laughed louder this time, kissing the top of Mira’s head, “Apologies, whatever can I do for you to forgive me?”

“Well…”

“Sir Caroline!” Angelo’s loud timber bellowed over the noise of the crowd. “Where did you go?”

He held Marc, both of Marc’s arms wrapped around Angelo’s neck, Rilla running to catch up behind them, tugging a train of Talfryn, Damien, and Arum behind her.  _ (oh this would be  _ interesting _ .) _

“Herbalist, you brought your monster?!” Caroline hissed, her last shred of sobriety breaking out.

Rilla giggled uncontrollably, “We’re having a _ baby _ ! Can you believe it?”

“Congratulations, Sir Damien. Amaryllis… Monster.” Queen Mira nodded primly and  _ oh right _ Quanyii  _ had _ cast that loosening-up spell on her hadn’t she?

“Thank you, my queen!” Damien beamed from his position in Arum’s arms.

A set of the traveling bards that had been roving through the party moved closer to them, beginning to play a lively beat.

“Shall we?” Quanyii giggled, her limbs loose and fuzzy.

Mira took Quanyii’s hand, Caroline took Mira’s, Angelo taking Quanyii’s, Marc taking Talfryn’s from his position in Angelo’s arms, Talfryn grabbing Rilla, Rilla grabbing Damien, Damien pulling the lizard to him, Arum’s claw slotting into place in Quanyii’s hand. They moved in a circle, laughing, smiling, finally all together and happy. Quanyii started giggling, well, “started” was generous. She hadn’t ever stopped.

Looking out at everyone’s faces Quanyii didn’t think she  _ could _ ever stop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> okay, so just going to repeat what i said in the first chapter: thank you so much for reading! i'm proud of this, it literally took me all day to complete so that's a thing... if you want to comment, do! it makes my week and i will love you forever. again: i'm on tumblr at [labelleofbelfastcity](https://labelleofbelfastcity.tumblr.com/) and love to talk about the penumbra!! and also, this is a gift, grace! i know you already read it but i hope you enjoyed it!!

**Author's Note:**

> hello again, this is only the first part and the others should be posted fairly soon!! thank you for reading, don't be shy to leave a comment, and i'm on tumblr at [labelleofbelfastcity](https://labelleofbelfastcity.tumblr.com/) come yell at me!


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